This delightful image by Werner Klemke (1917-94) was published as a postcard by Planet-Verlag in 1990 [SBM332]. The Lambiek Comiclopedia explains (here) that Klemke was born in Berlin and lived in East-Germany after WWII, teaching at the Berlin-Weissensee from 1951.
Klemke mostly illustrated fairy tales, novels and magazines, but this lovely witch is certainly not of the fairy-tale variety. At least, I don’t recall witches in three-quarter stockings and pom-pom peeptoes in the fairy-tales I read. The cat, however, is very witchy and the backward broom a reminder of what I have said before on the debate about how you really ride a broom.
As for the man in his striped pajamas trying to lasso our witch, we can only wish him luck. He’ll need it!
